نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Background and Objective: The diversity of reproductive traits in woody species from arid regions provides key insights into regeneration potential and population persistence under climate change. However, little is known about this diversity in wild almond (Amygdalus scoparia) in Iran. This study is the first to investigate the phenotypic diversity of reproductive traits in six natural populations of this species in western Qom province. Materials and Methods: Seven reproductive traits were measured along with seven environmental variables across 72 plots. One way ANOVA, Tukey HSD test, Principal Component Analysis, and Pearson correlation were used for data analysis. Results: The highest reproductive trait diversity was observed in Dastjerd and Zavarian populations. A strong positive correlation was observed between flower length and flower number (r = 0.738, p < 0.001). However, correlations between precipitation and reproductive traits were weak and non-significant (r = -0.116 for flower length and r = 0.142 for flower number, p > 0.05). Soil variables, particularly electrical conductivity (EC) and potassium, played a more prominent role. The first two principal components accounted for 95.44% of the total variance (PC1: 83.15%, PC2: 12.29%). High altitude populations exhibited larger flowers but fewer flowers per inflorescence. Conclusion: The high phenotypic diversity of reproductive traits in Dastjerd and Zavarian populations makes them conservation priorities and suitable candidates for future genetic studies. Soil variables including electrical conductivity (EC), potassium, and nitrogen were more determinant than precipitation.
کلیدواژهها English